It was commissioned by Bahgat Pasha, minister of public works, who designed it primarily to provide perennial irrigation to the Khedivial sugar estates in Middle Egypt.

Sir William Willcocks, the famous British civil engineer, would construct the Assiut Barrage later in 1901 to provide means for better control of its discharge.

Although locks were constructed through its southern third, Ibrahimya Canal is not navigable after Dairut as it was designed for irrigation purposes only.

The Ibrahimiya, except at few locations where it follows portions of ancient canals, flows parallel to the Nile, and does not have between itself and the river a distance of more than 4 to 5 kilometres.

They are: After Ibrahimiya leaves Dairut, a series of distribution works control water discharges along its route.